Anchor in your bass boat?

[Craigums]

Do you guys carry an anchor in your bass boat? If so what style and weight? I haven't the last 2 years but there have been a few times were it would have come in handy

[rwwong]

Interesting question that will probably turn into an interesting topic. I am guessing most guys that have bass boats do not have an anchor in their boats - and if they do, it's only used when they beach the boat to launch and load.

There are good reasons to not carry an anchor; like weight, but I think mostly there is a stigma attached to it.

I think Minnkota and PowerPole would hate to see anchors in anyone's bass boat:)

[Bobby Bass]

I have one in my boat, store it under the console next to the fire extinguisher. Can't remember when I have ever used either one but I am glad that I know that I have them, just in case..

[Juan Grande]

A "stigma" attached to carrying an anchor?

Interesting question that will probably turn into an interesting topic. I am guessing most guys that have bass boats do not have an anchor in their boats - and if they do, it's only used when they beach the boat to launch and load.

There are good reasons to not carry an anchor; like weight, but I think mostly there is a stigma attached to it.

I think Minnkota and PowerPole would hate to see anchors in anyone's bass boat:)

[Juan Grande]

I have two and use them fairly often when fishing with the kids or if I want to hold on a spot in the wind. I don't have power poles or spot lock on my Minnkota.

[mainbutter]

I carry and anchor in the boat I fish bass with.

But the boat is a canoe.

The anchor helps act as ballast for solo fishing, and sometimes it's nice to park in a spot with schooling sunnies that you KNOW also has LMB around, and fish it hard with slow fly presentations.

[UKCM]

If you ever have mechanical problems you may wish you had an anchor.

Nothing like a windy day and a rocky shore or current in a similar situation to make you wish you had a way to stop your boat.

I am sure the bass boat has a trolling motor for alternate power, but it is pretty hard to try and fix something at the back of the boat and run your trolling motor at the same time.

[CAMAN]

I've goat a location in the very bottom of my bow that isn't good for anything else so I keep a spare prop and an anchor there all the time, and 100' of line in a plastic box. It mainly keeps me from tripping over it in my garage and if I ever need it it's there. It has saved me once when I spun my prop on a windy day and had to switch it out in the middle of the lake.

[rwwong]

A "stigma" attached to carrying an anchor?

I think Minnkota and PowerPole would hate to see anchors in anyone's bass boat:)

Yep, I don't own a bass boat, but I have been around plenty, and none of them carried an anchor.

I'm simply making an observation. I'm not saying it wouldn't be useful!

[smalliehunter]

i have never carried an anchor, i guess i never even thought about throwing one in the boat, but now that its been brought up it sure would be smart to have one, just in case

on another note i will be adding a 10ft tallon before the opener this year. Im pretty excited about that.

[RuKiddingMe]

I have two and use them fairly often when fishing with the kids or if I want to hold on a spot in the wind. I don't have power poles or spot lock on my Minnkota.

I don't have a bass boat - but Juan Grande is spot on for why I carry two of them.

[wormdunker]

I carry a water spike. Holds like crazy and breaks down flat. Carry it 90% of the time.

[th64]

I use a 15 lb. navy anchor-someone said weight would be why people would not want one in a bass boat-most bass boats are fiberglass what does that weigh?

BTW those navy style anchors hold very well. I use mine very little but when I need it I love it.

[wormdunker]

Meh weight is not important if the anchor is designed right. Get a water spike or Digger style anchor that is not weight based. My water spike literally DIGS in so tight you cannot move it. Just drive over it and the slid ring repositions itself allowing the anchor to slide out.

I think it weighs between 5-8lbs. I can pull a pin and lay it down flat.

[mwal]

IMHO an anchor is a piece of safety equipment. My stratos never has been in the water without one. Have I used it ? no. But in event of mechanical breakdown or battery loss it could save your boat or your life if drifting out to sea on large body of water or drifting in to rocky shore or towards a dam or other hazard. I also have a paddle with an extendable handle. Never used except to push off shore. Its a 3 fluke rubber coated 18lb anchor with 50 ft of rope. I may switch to a water spike as it can be broken down to free up cargo space. Should be required piece of safety equipment.

Mwal

[Hawg]

I also say a big YES to having an anchor. Don't get tied up with the stuffy fisherman who base most of what they do on TV shows and the Cool factor. Be safe and practical, an anchor will be your best friend even if you don't use it often.

[hydrashack]

The stigma is of anchors being for panfishermen and old timers.

I don't carry an anchor. No good places to store them #1, too much weight #2, never really needed one #3. I only bass fish.

I would love a set of powerpoles, but those are for fishing a dock or something shallow with wind or current. I would not take the time to pull an anchor out, drop it in and possibly ruin the spot, tie off and try to fish again.

[PurpleCatMan]

For me, weight isn't an issue, but storage is. I'd need to find a way to secure it... wouldn't want it banging around in any of my storage boxes.

The weight of an anchor will not affect your performance if you store it somewhere behind the console. The mfg of my boat said 100lbs at the seat will affect speed by 1 MPH.

Also agree with shack, that it just wouldn't be useful/practical for bass fishing.

[Search Function]

I carry two mushroom anchors in my 15' tri-hull bass boat. I fish by myself most of the time and the big one(15lbs I think) is attached to the line I use when I put the boat in the water and serves as my mooring line on the front of the boat. I use it frequently as a poor man's power pole. For instance, last year on bass opener it came in very handy as I was working/drifting across a flat and running into scattered groups of fish. I'd get a fish on, drop the anchor over the side and then fan cast the area usually catching several more fish in that nasty wind we had. Once I didn't get any more fish I'd pull it up and repeat the process with the next fish I'd catch.

The smaller one only weighs about 7lbs and I keep it at the back of the boat. I don't remember if I have used that one or not.

[Bagman101]

I always have an anchor on board. We usually only use it very early in the year, when we sit in a small bay and fan cast into the emerging pads. After that, it pretty much collects dust. Still good to have on board.

[beeflover]

Stigma! Come on Man! Most of us with bass boats are way to cool to have an anchor in the boat! Anchors are for people who fish with bobbers and tourists.

There is no reason to have one unless your fishin for bullheads or drinkin to much.

[RK]

I always have anchors in the boat.

As someone else said, it's safety equipment for one thing. You lose power for some reason, things can go from bad to worse in a hurry.

In purely practical terms though, there are times when anchoring is the best way to fish a spot.

My best day for numbers of big fish last season, every big fish I caught while anchored. It was a brutal cold front, howling northwest wind, and I found fish stacked up on a narrow gravel seam running through a coontail bed then extending out onto a point that broke off into deeper water on both sides. Only way I could get bit was dragging a football head.

I was able to anchor off the end of the point and bomb casts down the gravel seam, and most of the fish came right on the edge of the gravel/mud transition. With the boat anchored I was able to hit that zone with precision on basically every cast. Even at that, I only got bit every half hour or so (fish were way turned off) but it would have been a lot tougher if I'd had to try to control the boat besides. My boat was sitting in 22 feet, so a Talon or power pole wouldn't have helped but with an anchor down (actually I think I was double anchored), I could concentrate on presentation. It was like fishing off a dock.

Honestly, I think in general guys would catch a lot more bass if they watched less bass fishing on TV...